Lydia Balbal is a Mangala woman. She was married to the Yulparija artist Nabiru Bullen until his death in 2009. Lydia's country is near Punmu in the Great Sandy Desert of W.A. Her people's existence was threatened by severe drought so that they had little choice but to leave their traditional country. Her family were some of the last to walk out to the coastal town of Bidyadanga (then La Grange Mission) located two hours south of Broome in the early 70s. Lydia first began painting in 2007 but has already received significant attention from collectors and the media alike.
Lydia Balbal Martakulu, 2023, acrylic on linen, 88 x 114 cm (841467)
Martakulu is a soak out near Punmu near the Canning Stock Route in the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia. It is strong womans country, it is part of the women's law line. Long time ago a law man he come up to this country, he went home and left his wife and baby. They make him fire and sit down, cook mayi (bush food) and then started to cry for her husband. Her tears made that soak. It is important country this one.
Born 1958
Language Mangala
Region Broome
SOLO EXHIBITION
2017
- Lydia Balbal - Underground, Short St Gallery, Broome, WA
- Mangala Woman: Lydia Balbal, AirSpace Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2013
- Mangala Woman: Lydia Balbal, AirSpace Gallery, Sydney, NSW
- Pikarong: King Brown Country, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
2012
- Lydia Balbal/Strong Woman Country, IDAIA - International Develpoment of Australian Indigenous Art, Paris
2010
- Piti, Outstation Gallery, Darwin, NT
2009
- Lydia Balbal Solo, Aboriginal and Pacific Art Gallery, Sydney NSW
2008
- Salt Lake Country, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
- Lydia Balbal, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne Victoria
GROUP EXHIBITION
2024
- Revere, Regenerate, Reflect – St John of God Murdoch Hospital, Perth
- 'How to Swim', Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
2023
- Ngura, JGM Gallery, London, Great Britain
- Voir L’Invisible, Musee d’Angoulême, France
- Pink is Punk – Short St Gallery, Broome, WA
2019
- From the Desert to the Sea : a Journey with the Yulparitja, Aboriginal Signature Estrangin Gallery, Brussels
2018
- Le Pley Collection, Residence of the Australian Ambassador, Beijing, China
2017
- Hedland Art Award, Courthouse Gallery, Port Hedland, WA
- Songs of a Secret Country, Kluge-Ruhe Art GAllery, University of Virginia,
- Desert Colour 2017, Talapi, Alice Springs, NT
- Electric, Harvey Arts Projects, USA
2016
- Parcours des Mondes, Estragin Fine Art, Paris, France
2015
- OFF COURSE Art Fair, Brussels, Belgium
2014
- Saltwater Soul Desert Heart, Short St Gallery Broome, Western Australia Country to Coast; Colours of the Kimberley, Aboriginal Art Museum - Utrecht, curated by Georges Petitjean
- Dreamings: Arte Aborigena Australiana incontra de Chirico (Aboriginal Australian art meets De Chirico), Museo Carlo Bilotti, Villa Borghese, Rome,2013/2014 Memoires vives. Une Historie de art Abrigene, Musee dAcquitaine – Bordeaux
COLLECTIONS
Deakin University Art Collection
Murdoch University Art Collection Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands
Thomas Vroom Collection, The Netherlands
National Gallery of Victoria Felton Collection
Queensland Art Gallery
Laverty Collection
Artbank
Monash University Art Collection
Lepley Collection
Western Australian Art Gallery
National Gallery of Australia
Wesfarmers Collection
Australia Parliament House Collection
Brocard - Estrangin Collection
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia
